More Award News

Children's Laureate Michael Rosen has launched the Roald Dahl Funny Prize to celebrate humour in children's writing. The shortlists have been released with the winners will be announced in November.

Ages Seven to Fourteen:

• Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear by Andy Stanton, illustrated by David Tazzyman
  
• Paddington Here and Now by Michael Bond, illustrated by RW Alley
  
• Stop in the Name of Pants! by Louise Rennison
  
• Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
  
• Aliens Don't Eat Dog Food by Dinah Capparucci
  
• Urgum and the Goo Goo Bah! by Kjartan Poskitt, illustrated by Philip Reeve

Ages Six and Under:

• Stick Man by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler
• Elephant Wellyphant by Nick Sharratt
• The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers
• The Witch's Children Go to School by Ursula Jones, illustrated by Russell Ayto
• There's an Ouch in My Pouch! by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Garry Parsons
• Manfred the Baddie by John Fardell

Guardian Children's Fiction Prize Winner

Congratulations to Patrick Ness for winning the Guardian Children's Fiction prize for his book The Knife of Never Letting Go.

Imagine you're the only boy in a town of men. And you can hear everything they think. And they can hear everything you think. Imagine you don't fit in with their plans...
Todd Hewitt is just one month away from the birthday that will make him a man. But his town has been keeping secrets from him. Secrets that are going to force him to run...

Find out more about Patrick and The Knife of Never Letting Go at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/sep/27/booksforchildrenandteenagers

Award Shortlists Announced

Books shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the Booktrust Teenage Prize have recently been announced.

The Guardian shortlist is:

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Before I Die by Jenny Downham
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

The Booktrust Teenage Prize shortlist is:

Creature of the Knight by Kate Thompson (Bodley Head)
The Knife that Killed Me by Anthony McGowan (Definitions)
The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner (Orion)
Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz (Walker)
Apache by Tanya Landman (Walker)
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (Walker)

You can see the books courtesy of our nifty widget from Amazon, on the right hand side of this page. Most are now available to borrow from the Library, or will be arriving very soon.
Personally, my favourite of the ones I've read so far is The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner, a fantastic story set in Paris and London at the time of the French Revolution. Highly recommended!

Best Reads for Autumn

Look out for these books which are being released soon and will be available from the Library:

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

Eagerly anticipated sequel to Eragon and Eldest - sure to be a huge bestseller!

Following the colossal battle against the Empire's warriors, Eragon and Saphira narrowly escaped with their lives. But, more awaits the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by promises he may not be able to keep, including his oath to cousin Roran to help rescue his beloved Katrina. Conflict, action, adventure and one devastating death await readers as Eragon battles on behalf of the Varden while Galbatorix ruthlessly attempts to crush and twist him to his own purposes. Can he become a leader who can unite the rebel forces and defeat the King?

Wolf Island by Darren Shan

The eighth dramatic title in the Demonata series. As the mysterious Shadow builds an army of demons, Grubbs and his team search desperately for answers. But when they follow up a new lead, it takes them to an old, unexpected foe - the Lambs. The curse of the Gradys has returned with a vengeance. Werewolves are on the loose. And they're hungry!

Jimmy Coates: Power by Joe Craig

The sixth action-packed adventure for Jimmy Coates - who seems like an ordinary boy, but he's not. He's genetically engineered to grow into the perfect government assassin. Speed, strength and deadly instinct - it's all in the blood. He has to fight not to kill, while his government fights to kill him. Jimmy's country is under attack. His body is poisoned. With time running out, he discovers what some people will do for power - and what he must do to stop them...

Welcome Back

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